Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Find out everything you’ve ever wanted to know about Swiss Meringue Buttercream: from how it’s made and stored to what to use it for, and how to flavor it in all sorts of ways. You’ll love this light, silky frosting so much that you’ll never go back to powdered sugar again!
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love Swiss Buttercream
- Ingredients and Notes
- Specialty Equipment
- How to Make Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- Recipe FAQS
- Expert Tips
- How to Store and Keep
- How to Serve
- Is Swiss meringue buttercream stable?
- Does Swiss meringue buttercream crust over?
- Recipes that taste great with Swiss meringue buttercream:
I tried Swiss meringue buttercream for the first time about 15 years ago, and it was a total “a-ha moment!” The light, silky texture and lovely, subtle flavor blew me away. I had never tasted anything quite so delicate before.
Right away, I realized that this was the BEST way to take my cakes and cupcakes to the next level, and I have never looked back!
Why You’ll Love Swiss Buttercream
Silky Smooth Texture: This Swiss meringue buttercream recipe has an incredibly smooth and silky texture that melts in your mouth. It feels so luxurious and whisper-light.
Creamy and Rich Flavor: The combination of meringue and butter creates a rich and creamy flavor profile that is not overly sweet. It strikes a perfect balance and enhances the taste of the cake or cupcake it adorns in a beautiful way.
Versatile and Adaptable: Swiss meringue buttercream is a versatile canvas for lots of different flavors. You can easily infuse it with various extracts, such as vanilla, almond, citrus, or even floral flavors like lavender or rosewater, allowing you to truly make it your own.
Stable and Pipeable: Swiss meringue buttercream holds its shape exceptionally well, making it perfect for intricate piping designs and layer cakes. Whether you want to create delicate rosettes, elaborate borders, or intricate patterns, this buttercream will maintain its structure beautifully.
Great for Decorating: Due to its smooth texture, Swiss meringue buttercream provides an ideal base for fondant decorations. It gives a satin-y finish that’s just gorgeous, and provides a clean canvas for elaborate fondant decorations.
Not Overly Sweet: Swiss meringue buttercream is a little less sweet. The meringue helps to balance the sweetness, making it a great choice for those who prefer desserts that aren’t too sugary.
Exceptional Stability: Swiss meringue buttercream has excellent stability, which means it can withstand various temperature conditions. It holds well in warmer environments without melting or losing shape, making it a reliable choice for outdoor events.
Long Shelf Life: Swiss meringue buttercream can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week and frozen for future use. This allows you to save time by preparing the frosting in advance.
Ingredients and Notes
Egg Whites
The egg whites help stabilize the sugar syrup and prevent it from crystallizing. When whipped at high speed until they form stiff peaks, the egg whites add a light, fluffy texture.
Granulated Sugar
The sugar is used to sweeten the buttercream and create a sugar syrup with the egg whites.
Regular white sugar is fine, or sub for another type of sweetener if you like. As long as it swaps 1:1 for granulated sugar it should work.
Butter
Softened butter is gradually added to the mixing bowl while the mixer continues to run at a medium-low speed. The butter is incorporated a few tablespoons at a time, allowing it to mix thoroughly before adding more. The meringue and butter combine to create a smooth and creamy buttercream.
I like to use unsalted butter because it lets me control the amount of salt in the dish. Different brands of butter can contain different amounts of salt, so this way you get a more consistent result.
This recipe works best if you allow the butter to come to room temperature first. You can set it out on the counter a few hours ahead of making your recipe, or you can microwave it for 10 seconds, turn it over, and microwave it again for another 8 seconds.
Salt
Salt carries the flavors and intensifies them. The result won’t taste salty, but it will make everything much more flavorful! Â
I like to use Kosher salt because it has no additives (table salt usually contains iodine, which can leave a bitter taste), so the flavor is pure. It’s also inexpensive and easy to find in a regular grocery store.
Specialty Equipment
Stand-Mixer
It’s easier to use a stand mixer when whipping the egg whites, but you can also use a hand mixer.
I recommend using the whisk attachment, not the paddle attachment as the whisk helps to create an airy and fluffy texture.
How to Make Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Step 1: Combine the egg whites and sugar in a large glass or metal bowl.
Step 2: Set the bowl over a pot of barely simmering water, and stir continuously at medium speed until the sugar is completely dissolved. (Check by rubbing a small amount between your thumb and forefinger; it should be hot to the touch and feel smooth, not gritty.)
Step 3: Remove the bowl from the simmering water and whip on high speed until the meringue is thick, white, glossy, and can hold stiff peaks. (It should be cooled completely. There should be no hint of warmth when you place your hand on the side of the bowl. Refrigerate the meringue for 15 to 20 minutes if necessary.)
Step 4: Add the butter in a tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition. (If the mixture looks curdled, continue to beat until it comes back together before adding the remaining butter.)
Step 5: Scrape the sides of the bowl. Fold in the salt and any other flavorings you may be using.
Recipe FAQS
Swiss meringue buttercream is a frosting used for topping and filling cakes, cupcakes, and macarons. It’s incredibly light and airy, yet rich and buttery at the same time. The thing that I love most about it is its silky texture. It’s made by first dissolving sugar into egg whites; it has an incredibly smooth quality that you don’t get with regular powdered sugar (aka American-style) buttercreams. When you taste it, you’ll be struck by its subtle sweetness and how it melts on your tongue.
While there is slightly more to it than just creaming butter and powdered sugar together, the payoff is huge! You’ll find that it’s worth that little bit of extra effort. And once you get the hang of it, it will seem like second nature!
The first step when making Swiss meringue buttercream is to melt sugar and egg whites together over a pot of steamy water. When the sugar is completely dissolved, you get that incredibly silky-smooth texture in your final product. But if you don’t heat the mixture long enough, you might feel gritty sugar crystals between your teeth.
Swiss meringue buttercream almost always goes through a stage that looks curdled, broken, or split. This often happens just before it entirely comes together! Just add the butter slowly (a tablespoon at a time), and let each addition fully incorporate before adding the next. Just keep on whipping, and I promise it will come back together!
Expert Tips
Avoid grainy buttercream
Cook the whites/sugar for around 10 minutes, whisking occasionally. The mixture goes from thick and transparent to thinner and more opaque.
The best way to know if the eggs and sugar are ready is to place a drop on your finger and rub it together with your thumb. If you feel any grit at all- keep cooking.
When it’s smooth, you’re ready for the next step.
You’ll also notice that the mixture feels hot to the touch. You can gauge with a candy thermometer (it should register 140 degrees F), but I don’t find that necessary. You should be good to go if it feels hot and the sugar is fully dissolved.
Avoid runny Swiss meringue buttercream
Temperature is everything when making this recipe! The whites and sugar need to get hot enough to dissolve the sugar, but they must cool way down before the butter goes in.
It’s easy to get impatient at this stage! I’ve done it plenty of times and ended up with a runny mess.
Salvage runny Swiss meringue buttercream
Put the entire thing (mixing bowl, whisk, and runny buttercream) into the fridge for about 20 minutes and re-whip. It works like magic!
It’s also a good idea to pay attention to the temperature of your butter. You want it softened, but it should still be somewhat cool. You don’t want it so slippery and nearly melted!
Use soft butter
If I soften my butter in the microwave (while still wrapped in sticks) for 10 seconds at 30% power, then flip it over and do another 8 seconds at 30% power, it comes out perfect!
Remember that all microwaves are not exactly the same, so you might have to experiment a little to find that perfect sweet spot.
How to Store and Keep
I often make it the night before I need it and let it sit at room temperature in an airtight container. This is fine to do if you plan to use it the following day.
It can be refrigerated for up to a week if you’d like to get even further ahead of schedule. But it may come out a bit hard and lose some airy lightness.
Scoop it out of the container and re-whip it (after it returns to room temp). It will be just like new!
It can also be frozen, thawed overnight in the fridge, and follow the above method.
How to Serve
- Fold in the seeds of a vanilla bean, 1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla bean paste, or two teaspoons of vanilla extract to make Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream.
- Add melted chocolate to make Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream.
- Add melted white chocolate to make White Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream.
- Place freeze-dried strawberries in the food processor, grind them to a fine powder, and stir them in to make Strawberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream.
- Whip in the zest and juice of a lemon, lime, or orange for a citrus Swiss Meringue Buttercream.
- Stir a tablespoon of instant espresso powder with three tablespoons of hot water, and stir the cooled mixture to make Coffee Swiss Meringue Buttercream.
- Puree a couple of cups of raspberries, then cook them down until thickened and stir in to make Raspberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream.
- Reduce sparkling wine to a thick syrup and add it to make Champagne Swiss Meringue Buttercream.
- Swiss meringue buttercream is super versatile! It can be colored with gel paste food coloring (aka icing colors) and flavored differently.
These are just a few ideas! You’re only limited by your imagination.
Just be careful not to add too much liquid, or your buttercream could separate.
Is Swiss meringue buttercream stable?
It is the most stable buttercream out there. It works well for piping, and it holds up beautifully.
It is mostly butter, so on hot days you may have some trouble, but the egg whites do a lot to help it hold its shape. If you want to serve it on a hot day, keep your cake or cupcakes refrigerated until ready to serve.
It also works very well under fondant! It gives you a perfectly smooth surface with no lumps or bumps, so it’s really ideal. When I worked as a pastry chef, this is what we always used for fondant-topped cakes.
Does Swiss meringue buttercream crust over?
Swiss meringue buttercream will not crust as American-style buttercream does. This makes it very easy to work with, especially if you want a perfectly smooth finish on your cakes.
Recipes that taste great with Swiss meringue buttercream:
- Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream
- Vanilla Cupcakes
- White Cupcakes
- Strawberry Cupcakes
- Butter Pecan Cupcakes
- Mango Margarita Cupcakes
- Peanut Butter Tagalong Cupcakes
- Apple Cinnamon Pancake Cupcakes with Crispy Bacon Sprinkles
- Grapefruit Champagne Mimosa Cupcakes
- Pina Colada Cupcakes
- Mocha Cupcakes
- Cranberry White Chocolate Cupcakes
- Snickers Cupcakes
- Peanut Butter & Jelly Cupcakes
- Brownie Sundae Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes
- Black & White Malt Shoppe Cupcakes
- Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Buttercream
- Salted Caramel Mocha Heaven & Hell Cake
- Vanilla Malt Layer Cake with Cashews & Salted Caramel
- Chocolate Layer Cake
- Banana Split Mini Bundt Cakes
- Neapolitan Macarons
- Shamrock Shake Macarons
- Kir Royale Macarons
- Strawberry Rose Macarons
Find more great frosting recipes on my “Icings, Frostings, Fillings, & Toppings” Pinterest board!
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Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Ingredients
- 6 large egg whites
- 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
- 2 cups (454 g) unsalted butter, , softened
- 1/8 teaspoon (0.13 teaspoon) kosher salt
Instructions
- In a large glass or metal bowl, combine the egg whites and sugar.
- Set the bowl over a pot of barely simmering water, and stir continuously, until the sugar is completely dissolved. (Check by rubbing a small amount between your thumb and forefinger; it should be hot to the touch, and feel smooth, not gritty.)
- Remove the bowl from the simmering water and whip on high speed until the meringue is thick, white, glossy, and can hold stiff peaks. (It should be cooled completely. There should be no hint of warmth when you place your hand on the side of the bowl. Refrigerate the meringue for 15 to 20 minutes if necessary.)
- Add the butter in, a tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition. (If the mixture begins to look curdled, continue to beat until it comes back together, before adding the remaining butter.)
- Fold in the salt and any other flavorings you may be using.
Hello Allie,
I also love Swiss meringue and… it’s buttercream version.Â
I’d like to make a shelf safe version. One that would last on the countertop for a few days.
Do you have any recommendations?
Thank you,
Anny
recipe came out easily. simple direction to follow. very silky with no grains of sugar. my only concern is that its a bit too sweet. its less sweet than butter cream, however its still too sweet for me. i was wondering can i reduce the sugar amount?
Not sure if that would work but you can certainly experiment! Good luck!
Hello!! Will boxed egg whites work for the buttercream? I always feel bad when I have a bunch of yolks leftover
Yes I use pasteurized whites from a carton often & they work pretty well. Good luck!
Thanks for a nice recipe – but EXTRA THANKS for the information. Storage, reviving, longevity, flavorings…. all of these were just the sort of info I was hunting for.
So glad to hear that Greta! Thanks for the 5-star review!
hi…i want to make white chocolate smbc for a strawberry cake and for a chocolate cake with cookies and cream inside and white chocolate smbc outside…do you think white chocolate in smbc will taste good?or just use plain smbc?thanks
ohh also can i add some rosewater if i make it simple?will it smell good?
Sounds delicious! Good luck and enjoy!
if i partially made the swiss meringue buttercream, it never came up to the curdled stage.. it’s thick but has yet to reach there and i put it in the fridge, will it whip up the next day? i only had 15 min to do all this lol
I would think so! Good luck!
Hi, thank you for the recipe!! Would this buttercream work well for writing?
Hi there! Yes this buttercream pipes beautifully. Good luck!
I made my first attempt at this lovely sounding frosting and managed to avoid the pit falls of gritty sugar and a runny texture, BUT mine tasted terrible in that you could taste the egg. I was so bummed, but I’m not giving up. I googled what may have gone wrong and I think I got the mixture too hot, thus “cooking” the egg whites. Do you know what the max temp would be to bring the egg mixture to in order to avoid this on my second attempt? I’m determined to get this down!
So sorry you had difficulty Rachel! You can take the whites/sugar mixture off the heat just as soon as the sugar is fully dissolved. You’ll be able to tell by rubbing a drop between your thumb and forefinger- it will feel smooth and not gritty. Good luck!
Excellent tutorial.. loved the detailed info given.. my daughter wanted unicorn themed cupcakes for her birthday .. and I have tried and failed with American butter cream a dozen times .. so I wanted to try something different.. the Italian butter cream called for a candy thermometer which I don’t own that’s when I can accross your recipe… And also this was my first time trying Swiss meringue butter cream.. it came out oh so perfect.. anyone who is trying this for the first time will definitely be super happy with the results .. I’m totally going to use this recipe again.. thank you so much because now I’m not afraid of making butter cream ?
I’m so happy to hear it Maria! Thanks so much for the positive feedback, and happy belated birthday to your daughter!
Hey! This comes very late but I’m in desperate need of guidance.
So I wanna do a salted caramel smbc enough to only cover a 3 or 4 layer 6 inch cake (crumb coat + frost + few rosettes on top but filling will be different). I’ve never worked with smbc before so really scared but I dislike American buttercream so wanna take the leap.
When should I add the salted caramel sauce? And how much? Can I just go by taste or will too much of it affect the smbc? I live in a pretty hot environment and AC won’t be available so is smbc heat resistant at least for some time? And how much will I need? Will half the recipe be sufficient? I really don’t want leftovers.
I’d be so grateful if you’d reply cz there are so many recipes online and I’m really confused ?
Hi Tehreem! I would go ahead and make a full batch for the type of cake you’re describing. There’s nothing worse than not having enough frosting to finish your cake! As for adding salted caramel sauce, I’m really not sure what to tell you because it will obviously make the frosting a lot sweeter… I’m afraid you will have to do some experimenting. Maybe try adding less sugar to the egg whites to compensate? And I do think you will have to go by taste, but be careful because too much liquid will cause the buttercream to separate. Good luck!
Hello! Another recipe I have used, only calls for 1 1/2 C of butter, I’m tempted to try this one–but what if it is too buttery?! Ill still have to try it out! Either way a general question, do you use the whisk attachment throughout the whole process? or before you add the butter you switch to the paddle attachment?
thank you, happy baking!
Hi there and sorry for the late reply! I’ve been traveling. Swiss meringue buttercream does tend to have a much more buttery flavor than American style buttercreams do. And I always just use the whip attachment- it helps to keep everything smooth and lump-free! Good luck!
Hi Maria. Thank you for sharing.Â
I need to make and serve my tier cake in hot day. Do you think American buttercream is safe or Swiss meringue buttercream is safe? Please answer. ^^ thank you. Â
Hi Judy this is Allie. I don’t know how hot you are talking, but if you’re concerned I would try to keep the cake in the fridge for as long as you can. Good luck!
Do you let the egg whites come to room temperature before heating? I usually use a different SMBC recipe and it says to bring to room temperature. I want to give your recipe a try as it’s a different ratio of butter to meringue and I think it would be interesting to see if it’s much different ?
Hi Andrea! It’s always better to let the whites come to room temp first; it helps them to fluff up a little better. But I don’t always bother, to be honest. As long as my bowl and whip are really clean, and I don’t accidentally pierce a yolk, it usually comes out just fine!
Hi, will I be able to make my wedding cake, stack it and leave out of fridge for 1 dayÂ
In terms of spoilage I think that would be fine, but I don’t know what kind of cake you’re using or what your environment is like. If it’s very warm you might have some difficulty keeping things from becoming too soft.
I hope you can help me with some advice. I tried making Swiss buttercream for the first time today, but my egg whites and sugar mixture crystallized becoming grainier and grainier the more I cooked the egg whites and sugar. I don’t know what I did wrong. I heated  the mixture up to 160 degrees over a pot of simmering water stirring constantly.Â
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
That’s very strange! I’m so sorry but I really don’t know what could have gone wrong there. I’ve made this dozens of times and never experienced anything like that.
I want to make only 1/3 of the amount you make in your recipe. Do you have a recipe for smaller batches?